Case Study

Literature

University of Bradford

The outstanding acoustic performance of Knauf Brio, the dry floor screed from Knauf Drywall, led to it being chosen for The Green, a development that will house 1,000 students at Bradford University. Not only is it important that the students should be able to study and enjoy their privacy, but the student village is also designed upon sustainable principles and is one of only 15 buildings in the world with a BREEAM classification of ‘Outstanding’.

Knauf Brio 18WF, an 18mm gypsum fibreboard with a 10mm laminated wood fibre layer, provides a 50dB sound insulation – a full 5dB above the standard Part E Building Regulations. The interlocking boards are proving to be both cost-effective and easy to install between floors in the development’s 34 town houses and 101 apartments, particularly in comparison with a wet screed system.

GB Solutions, the main contractor, and Roseville Plastering needed a moisture-free floor screed for the timber-frame scheme that would also meet exacting standards for airborne and impact sound for both party and separating floors.
They opted for Knauf Brio after assessing several other systems because it not only met these specifications but enables more effective working practices, says Dave Taylor, Roseville’s Floor Screed Operations Manager. “Brio passed our on-site acoustic trials with flying colours and we find the tiered edge boards very easy to install. We can also work around other trades more easily – if there is a hold up with other trades in a particular area we can just leave Brio boards mid installation and start working somewhere else. But once you’ve started laying a wet screed you have to keep going until the floor is finished.”

The Green is designed not only to provide high quality accommodation but to also set new standards for sustainable building. The development is built using timber from sustainable sources and sited around a pond that harvests rainwater for re-use, just one of several recycling features.

Providing a strong, durable and flat surface, Knauf Brio Dry Floor Screed can be specified either as an acoustic solution variant or as a dry screed with excellent thermal transparency for use over underfloor heating and cooling systems. Brio’s lapped edges are engineered so the boards can be installed precisely and easily. Once glued and screwed to form a solid floor, it can take light traffic immediately and is ready for the floor finish as soon as the glue has dried in just four hours.